第37部分(第3/9 頁)

as　about　forty　years　old；　his　wife

died；　and　left　him　raving；　disconsolate。　Lydia　had　visited　him

then；　taking　Anna　with　her。　It　was　when　the　girl　was　fourteen

years　old。　Since　then　she　had　not　seen　him。　She　remembered　him

as　a　small　sharp　clergyman　who　cried　and　talked　and　terrified

her；　whilst　her　mother　was　most　strangely　consoling；　in　a

foreign　language。

The　little　Baron　never　quite　approved　of　Anna；　because　she

spoke　no　Polish。　Still；　he　considered　himself　in　some　way　her

guardian；　on　Lensky's　behalf；　and　he　presented　her　with　some

old；　heavy　Russian　jewellery；　the　least　valuable　of　his　wife's

relics。　Then　he　lapsed　out　of　the　Brangwen's　life　again；　though

he　lived　only　about　thirty　miles　away。

Three　years　later　came　the　startling　news　that　he　had　married

a　young　English　girl　of　good　family。　Everybody　marvelled。　Then

came　a　copy　of　〃The　History　of　the　Parish　of　Briswell；　by

Rudolph；　Baron　Skrebensky；　Vicar　of　Briswell。〃　It　was　a　curious

book；　incoherent；　full　of　interesting　exhumations。　It　was

dedicated：　〃To　my　wife；　Millicent　Maud　Pearse；　in　whom　I　embrace

the　generous　spirit　of　England。〃

〃If　he　embraces　no　more　than　the　spirit　of　England；〃　said　Tom

Brangwen；　〃it's　a　bad　look…out　for　him。〃

But　paying　a　formal　visit　with　his　wife；　he　found　the　new

Baroness　a　little；　creamy…skinned；　insidious　thing　with

red